US 341696
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
HUGH A. SILVER AND WALTER FLETCHER, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.
EJECTING MECHANISM FOR REVOLVERS.
SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 341,696, dated May 11, 1886.
Application filed January 18, 1886. Serial No. 188,976. (No model.) Patented in England December 6, 1884, No. 16,078.
To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that we, HUGH ADAMS SILVER and WALTER FLETCHER, subjects of the Queen of Great Britain, both residing at Sun Court, 5 Cornhill, London, England, have invented new and useful Means for Automatically Ejecting Empty Cartridge-Cases from Revolver Pistols, (for which we have obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 16,078, bearing date Io December 6, 1884,) of which the following is a specification.
The object of our invention is to withdraw and eject empty cartridge-cases automatically from revolver-pistols by the direct contact of the hammer upon a metal plate or bar, pivoted or hinged to the body of the pistol in such a manner that, as the fired cartridge is moved round to bring another or loaded cartridge into position, the empty case is suddenly ejected by contact of the hammer on the metal plate or bar simultaneously as the loaded cartridge then in position is being struck by the hammer.
For the purpose of our invention we slot the back face or solid portion of the body and pass a pin through from the top of same. This pin forms a pivot, on which a bar or plate which fits the recess can move in one direction when struck by the hammer in the act of firing a loaded cartridge, and be returned to its M o normal position by a spring. The bar has a blade projecting downward, and is so shaped that as the empty cartridge-cases are brought round in succession by the ordinary rotary movement of the charge-chamber, the edge of the blade engages within the rim of the empty cartridge-case, and when the hammer strikes the bar as the next charge is being fired the empty cartridge-case is suddenly ejected from its chamber, and so on in succession after each successive firing.
The hammer may be of the usual construction, with the striker as part thereof; but the striker may be separate and inclosed within the hammer, and be provided with a thumb piece capable of being set in a backward position, or at “safety,” by the thumb-piece being set in a slot in the hammer.
Figure 1 represents a revolver provided with our improved cartridge case-ejecting mechanism. Fig. 2 is a view of the cartridge chamber block detached. Figs. 3 and 4 represent a modification in the arrangement of the ejector-bar and its spring. Figs. 5 to S represent further modifications in form and arrangement of the ejector-bar spring. Figs. 9, 10, and 11 illustrate the arrangement of an adjustable striker within the hammer.
Our invention will be understood by the annexed drawings, in which at Fig. 1 we show an ordinary five-chambered revolver, the chamber-block of which is shown at Fig. 3.
The back face of the body A is recessed, and a bar, B, fits and is pivoted therein by the screw-pin C upon it, Which has a movement when struck by the nose D of the hammer E when the striker F is in the act of firing a loaded cartridge, which has been brought opposite it by the usual trigger-claw.
G is the blade of the bar B, whose edge is arranged to take into a cut-away portion of the face of the chamber I, and consequently under the rim H of the cartridge-case to extract or eject it. The bar is held in position by a spring, IX, which is fastened to the side of the body A, and has a limb, L, which bears against the bar, to hold the blade G in contact with the face of the chamber-block, except when the nose D of the hammer strikes the bar, as before explained.
M is the usual gate, which can be set open, as at Fig. 1, for charging the chambers in the usual manner, and when the automatic ejection of the empty cases is not required the gate can be closed against the back face of the cartridge. cases, to retain them in position in the usual manner, where it acts as a stop against the ejection.
We have referred to the bar B as fitting a recess; but other means may be adopted for pivoting said bar B to the body A, and the spring K may be arranged differently to that above described.
In the example Fig. 3, we show the bar B pivoted to the body A, and with a spring, K, fastened to the shield N, with its free end behind the bar, to press that end forward, the action corresponding to that described with reference to Fig. 1.
If the extraction of the empty cartridge cases is not necessary the bar can be slid side wise on its pivot-pin C, as at Fig. 4, so that the blade is free of the rim of the cartridge cases.
Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 represent other modified arrangements of the spring. In Fig. 5 the spring K is of helical form, working against a shoulder of a stud, P, projecting from the bar. At Fig. 6 the limb L of the spring is dispensed with. At Fig. 7 another form of spring is shown, and at Fig. 8 the spring is fastened to the neck Q of the revolver-framer, the object of the spring in all cases being to return the bar to its normal position, so that the blade G may be made to engage with the rim of the next succeeding cartridge-case in succession.
Fig. 9 represents a hammer with the striker F fitted within the same, and capable of being set at the position of safety by the thumb-piece R being moved in the slot S, Fig. 10, to hold it back, as at Fig. 11, the thumb-piece taking into a recess formed at the end of the slot.
By this invention empty cartridge-cases can be extracted automatically at each successive firing of a full cartridge by opening the gate M, or the empty cartridge-cases may be retained within the chamber by closing the gate at the will of the person using the same, (this is with reference to the pistol shown in Fig. 1;) or, if the gate be closed all the cartridges can be fired in succession, and then the gate be opened and all the empty cases extracted in succession. The same remark applies to the pistol shown in Fig. 9; but, should by any error a loaded cartridge be left in, the placing of the striker in the safety position prevents all possibility of an accident happening at the time of extracting should a full charge be left in the chamber I.
We claim as our invention–
1. In a revolving fire-arm, the combination, with the body A and chamber I, of an ejector-bar B, pivoted in the path of the hammer in a recess formed in the body A, and having a depending blade, G, fitting in a recess in chamber I, to fit under the rim of a cartridge, and a movable gate, M, adapted to be thrown across the back face of the cartridges to prevent their ejection by the extractor B, substantially as described.
2. In a revolving fire-arm, the combination, with the hammer E, having slot S, of an adjustable striker, F, fitted within the hammer and having a thumb-piece, R, adapted to move in and be engaged with the slot S, whereby the striker can be locked at the position of safety, substantially as described.
In witness whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.
HUGH A. SILVER.
WALTER FLETCHER.
Witnesses:
W. S. BENNETT,
Aubrey House, Tottenham Lane, Hornvey,
N. G. H. HEALD,
7 Cornwall Rd., South Hackney, E.